The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

THE FLOWER AND THE LEAF.. 229
And at the last there then began anon That were in white, one of them took in green.
A lady for to sing right womanly, By the hand; which when that the knights had
A bargaret,l in praising the dais.' seen,
For, as me thought, among her notes sweet, In like mannere each of them took a knight
She saidd: Si douce est la margarete." 2
She saide: " Si douce est la manrgcarete. " 2 Y-clad in green, and forth with them they fare
Then all they answered her in fere 3. Unto a hedge, where that they anon right,
So passingly well, and so pleasantly, To make their joustes,19 they would not spare
That it was a [most] blissful noise to hear. Boughis to hewe down, and eke trees square,
But, I n'ot 4 how, it happen'd suddenly Wherewith they made them stately fires great,
As about noon the sun so fervently To dry their clothis, that were wringing wet.
Wax'd hote, that the pretty tender flow'rs
Waxd los, that the prebeau ty of th einder fcolow'r And after that, of herbbs that there grew,, They made, for blisters of 20 the sun's burning,
Forshrunk 5 with heat; the ladies eke to- Ointmenteis very good, wholesome, and new,
brent,6 Wherewith they went the sick fast anointing;
That they knew not where they might them And after that they went about gath'ring
bestow; Pleasant salades, which they made them eat,
The knightes swelt,7 for lack of shade nigh For to refresh their great unkindly heat.
shent;
And after tha~t;, within a little throw, Yhe Lady of the Leaf then gan to pray
The wind began so sturdily to blow, Her of the Flower (for so, to my seeming,
That down went all the flowers ev'ry one, They should be called, as by their array),
That down went all the ~flowers ev'ry wone,
So that in all the mead there left 9 not one T sup ith her; and eke, for anything,
That she should with her all her people bring;
Save such as succour'd were among the leaves And she again in right goodly mann6re -
From ev'ry storm that mighte them assail, Thanked her fast of her most friendly cheer;
Growing under the hedges and thick greves; 10
And after that there came a storm of hail aying plainly, that she would obey,
And rain in fere,3 so that withoute failith all her heart, all her commndment
The ladies nor the knights had not one thread And then anon, without longer delay,
Dry on them, so dropping was [all] their weed.ll The Lady of the Leaf hath one y-sent
-To bring a palfrey, after her intent,21
And when the storm was passed clean away, Arrayed well in fair harness of gold;
Those in the white, that stood under the tree, For nothing lack'd, that to him longd sho'ld.22
They felt no thing of all the great affray
That they in green without had in y-be:12 And, after that, to all her company
To them they went for ruth, and for pit, he made to purvey horse and ev'rything
Them to comf6rt after their great disease; 3 That they needed; and then full lustily,
So fain14 they were the helpless for to ease. Evn by the arbour where I was sitting,
They passed all, so merrily singing,
Then I was ware how one of them in green Tht i d have comforted any wight.
That it would have comf6rted any wight.
Had on a crownS, rich and well sitting; 15 But then I saw a wondrous sight
Wherefore I deemed well she was a queen,
And those in green on her were awaiting.16 For then the nightingale, that all the day
The ladies then in white that were coming Had in the laurel sat, and did her might
Toward them, and the knightes eke in fere, The whole service to sing longing to May,.Began to comfort them, and make them cheer. All suddenly began to take her flight;
And to the Lady of the Leaf forthright
The queen in white, that was of great beauty, d forth t
Took by the hand the queen that was in green She flew, and set her on her hand softl
Ad s - " r I he g* V I Which was a thing I marvell'd at greatly.
And saide: " Sister, I have great pitJy
Of your annoy, and of your troublous teen,l7 The goldfinch eke, that from the medlar tree
Wherein you and your company have been Was fled for heat into the bushes cold,
So long, alas! and if that it you please Unto the Lady of the Flower gan flee,
To go with me, I shall you do the ease, And on her hand he set him as he wo'ld,
" In all the pleasure that I can or may; " And pleasantly his winges gan to fold;a
Whereof the other, humbly as- she might, And for to sing they pain'd them both, as sore
Thanked her; for in right evil array As they had done of all 25 the day before.
She was, with storm and heat, I you behight; 18 And so these ladies rode f6rth a great pace,26
And ev'ry lady then anon aright, And all the rout of knightes eke in fere;
I Bergerette, or pastoral song. 19 The meaning is not very obvious; but in The
2 " So sweet is the daisy " (" la marguerite"). Knight's Tale "jousts and array" are in some editions
3 Together. 4 Know not. made part of the adornment of the Temple of Venus;
5 Shrivelled up. 6 Thoroughly scorched. and as the word "jousts" would there carry the gene7 Fainted. 8 Destroyed. ral meaning of " preparations" to entertain or please
9 Remained. 10 Groves, boughs. a lover, in the present case it may have a similar force.
11 Clothing. 12 Had been in. 20 Of the wounds made by.
13 Trouble. 14 Glad, eager. 21 According to her wish.
15 Becoming. 16 In attendance. 22 That should belong to him. 23 Provide.
17 Injury, grief. 24 Made their utmost exertions.
18 I promise you, I assure you. 25 During. 26 Rapidly.